Established Evidence Results

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Outreach (School Staff), Educational Material (Provider), Patient Navigation,

Intervention Description: The intervention in the study is described as a school-based outreach pilot program aimed at increasing access and participation in State-subsidized health insurance. The specific activities of the intervention include including State-subsidized insurance marketing material in the student registration packet and providing outreach material to develop sustainable strategies for identifying uninsured children and systematically incorporating child health outreach into routine school district operations

Intervention Results: The study's results indicate that the school-based outreach program was effective in identifying uninsured children and facilitating their enrollment in State-subsidized health insurance programs. The outreach efforts resulted in a significant response rate, with a notable number of children enrolled in the program as a result of the intervention. These findings suggest that incorporating health insurance outreach into routine school district operations can be a successful strategy for reaching uninsured children and increasing their access to State-subsidized health insurance

Conclusion: The conclusion of the study suggests that integrating the collection of health insurance status into routine school communication channels is an effective way to identify uninsured children who may be eligible for State subsidized benefits. The research, conducted in Van Buren County, MI, estimates that 70% of the 1,211 uninsured children are eligible for State subsidized health insurance. A survey distributed with free and reduced lunch applications and school registration identified 156 uninsured children, raising questions about the external validity of the research. The study proposes the extrapolation of results to the entire county or even the state, emphasizing the simplicity of the survey and the statewide management of the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. The approach, already successful in several states, could provide a sustainable and everyday method for effective outreach to identify uninsured children. Additionally, the study rejects Ho2, stating there is a statistical difference in the number of applications received from a school-based outreach program during the pilot period. The analysis of application data shows a positive relationship between time and the number of applications received, with a predicted increase of 5.6593 applications in each subsequent period. The model's strength is supported by a relatively strong R² of 77.58%. However, the study acknowledges that 23% of the error remains unexplained, possibly due to factors such as the pilot outreach intervention. The actual number of applications in May 2013 exceeded the predicted range, suggesting factors not accounted for in the model.

Study Design: The study is described as a cross-sectional pilot study designed to employ a school-based outreach effort utilizing existing school communications to identify children who are currently uninsured and may be eligible for State subsidized health insurance.

Setting: State of Michigan schools

Population of Focus: The target audience for the study includes K-12 students and their families, particularly those who are currently uninsured and may be eligible for State subsidized health insurance.

Sample Size: The study identifies 156 children as not having health insurance, representing more than 44% of the 358 children who are eligible for State subsidized health insurance in the participating school districts

Age Range: The age range of the children involved in the study is K-12, which typically includes children between the ages of 5 and 18 years old

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): CAREGIVER, Outreach (caregiver), PROVIDER/PRACTICE, Outreach (Provider), POPULATION-BASED SYSTEMS, STATE, Medicaid Reform

Intervention Description: The authors obtained Medicaid eligibility, claims, and provider data before and after the fee increase, in 2006 and 2009 through 2012, respectively. Their analysis examined changes in utilization rates, service mix, expenditures, and dentists' participation. The authors qualitatively assessed the general impact of the recession on utilization rate changes.

Intervention Results: The percentage of preventive dental services among continuously enrolled children stayed relatively constant from pretest to posttest (24.1% in 2006 at pretest and 22.7%, 23.1%, 23.3%, and 24.4% in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 respectively).

Conclusion: The Medicaid fee increase, program improvements, and the recession had a dramatic impact on reducing disparities in children's access to dental care in Connecticut.

Study Design: QE: pretest-posttest

Setting: Connecticut

Population of Focus: Children continuously enrolled in Medicaid (Healthcare for UninSured Kids and Youth A program) for at least 11 months and 1 day within a calendar year

Data Source: Medicaid enrollment and encounter data

Sample Size: 2006 (n=161,130) 2009 (n=166,787) 2010 (n=204,550) 2011 (n=215,377) 2012 (n=214,680)

Age Range: not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): CAREGIVER, Home Visit (caregiver), Educational Material (caregiver), Oral Health Product, Patient Navigation (Assistance), PROVIDER/PRACTICE, Outreach (Provider), Education/Training (caregiver)

Intervention Description: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a dental care coordinator intervention on increasing dental utilization by Medicaid-eligible children compared with a control group.

Intervention Results: Dental utilization during the study period was significantly higher in the intervention group (43 percent) than in the control group (26 percent). The effect was even more significant among children living in households well below the Federal Poverty Level. The intervention was effective regardless of whether the coordinator was able to provide services in person or via telephone and mail.

Conclusion: The dental care coordinator intervention significantly increased dental utilization compared with similar children who received routine Medicaid member services. Public health programs and communities endeavoring to reduce oral health disparities may want to consider incorporating a dental care coordinator along with other initiatives to increase dental utilization by disadvantaged children.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: Jefferson County in Louisville, KY

Population of Focus: Children aged 4-15 years who currently or for 2 years prior had Medicaid insurance but have not had Medicaid dental claims filed for the previous 2 years

Data Source: Medicaid claims

Sample Size: Intervention (n=68) Control (n=68)

Age Range: not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Outreach (Provider), Policy/Guideline (State)

Intervention Description: Provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 hold promise for improving access to and receipt of preventive services for adolescents and young adults (AYAs). The Title V Block Grant transformation also includes a focus on improving adolescent preventive care. This brief report describes and discusses an inquiry of promising strategies for improving access and preventive care delivery identified in selected high-performing states.

Intervention Results: Seven top-performing states were selected: California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Oregon, Vermont, and Texas; 27 stakeholders completed interviews. Four strategies were identified regarding insurance enrollment: use of partnerships; special populations outreach; leveraging laws and resources; and youth engagement. Four strategies were identified regarding quality preventive care: expand provider capacity to serve AYAs; adopt medical home policies; establish quality improvement projects; and enhance consumer awareness of well-visit. States focused more on adolescents than young adults and on increasing health insurance enrollment than the provision of preventive services.

Conclusion: This commentary identifies strategies and recommends areas for future action, as Title V programs and their partners focus on improving healthcare for AYAs as ACA implementation and the Title V transformation continues.

Study Design: Report

Setting: California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Oregon, Vermont, and Texas

Data Source: Two data sources were used to identify top-performing states in insurance enrollment and preventive care delivery: National Survey of Children's Health for adolescents (ages 12-17 years) and Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System for young adults (ages 18-25 years)

Sample Size: N/A

Age Range: 12-17 and 18-25

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PROVIDER/PRACTICE, Community Health Workers (CHWs), Outreach (Provider), PATIENT/CONSUMER, Motivational Interviewing, Telephone Support, Home Visits

Intervention Description: To evaluate the effectiveness of a lay delivered intervention to reduce Latino children’s exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The a priori hypothesis was that children living in households that were in the intervention group would have lower exposure over time than measurement only controls.

Intervention Results: There were no significant condition-by-time interactions. Significant or near significant time main effects were seen for children’s hair cotinine and parent’s report of exposure.

Conclusion: Applying a lay promotora model to deliver the behavioural problem solving intervention unfortunately was not effective. A likely explanation relates to the difficulty of delivering a relatively complex intervention by lay women untrained in behaviour change theory and research methods.

Study Design: Two group, randomized control trial

Setting: Community (home)

Population of Focus: Latino children

Data Source: Recruited from community organizations and venues such as Head Start Programs and cultural fairs

Sample Size: 143 Latino parents of children aged 1 to 9 who reported smoking at least 6 cigarettes a week

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PAYER, Expanded Insurance Coverage, HEALTH_CARE_PROVIDER_PRACTICE, Public Insurance (Health Care Provider/Practice), Educational Material (Provider), PARENT_FAMILY, Training (Parent/Family), PROFESSIONAL_CAREGIVER, Outreach (caregiver), PATIENT_CONSUMER, Peer Counselor, Parent Mentors

Intervention Description: The aim of the Kids’ Health Insurance by Educating Lots of Parents (Kids’ HELP) study was to evaluate the effects of parent mentors – Latino parents with children covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – on insuring Latino children in a community-based trial of uninsured children from 2011-2015. Parent mentors were trained to assist families in getting insurance coverage, accessing health care, and addressing social determinants of health. The intervention group was assigned parent mentors – trained, fluently bilingual Latino parents who had at least one child insured by Medicaid or CHIP for at least one year. Parent mentors attended a two-day training and received training manuals in English and Spanish with 9 training topics and one on sharing experiences. Parents mentors provided 8 services to intervention children and families (e.g., teaching about types of insurance programs and application processes; helping parents complete and submit children’s insurance applications; acting as family advocates by liaising between families and Medicaid or CHIP agencies; and helping parents complete and submit applications for coverage renewal).

Intervention Results: The study found that parent mentors were more effective than traditional methods in insuring children (95% vs. 69%), achieving faster coverage and greater parental satisfaction, reducing unmet health care needs, providing children with primary care providers, and improving the quality of well-child and subspecialty care. Children in the parent-mentor group had higher quality of overall and specialty care, lower out-of-pocket spending, and higher rates of coverage two years after the end of the intervention (100% vs. 70%). Parent mentors are highly effective in insuring uninsured Latino children and eliminating disparities. Parent mentors, as a special category of community health workers, could be an excellent fit with and complement to current state community health worker models. This RCT documented that the Kids’ HELP intervention is significantly more efficacious than traditional Medicaid and CHIP methods of insuring Latino children. Kids’ HELP eliminates coverage disparities for Latino children, insures children more quickly and with greater parental satisfaction than among control parents, enhances health care access, reduces unmet needs, improves the quality of well-child and subspecialty care, reduces out-of-pocket spending and family financial burden, empowers parents, ad creates jobs.

Conclusion: Parent mentors are highly effective in insuring uninsured Latino children and eliminating disparities.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: Community (Communities in Dallas County, Texas with the highest proportions of uninsured and low-income minority children)

Population of Focus: Uninsured children 0-18 years old whose primary caregiver identified them as Latino and uninsured and reported meeting Medicaid/CHIP eligibility criteria for the child

Data Source: Kids’ HELP trial data; questionnaires

Sample Size: 155 subjects (children and parents); 75 in the control group and 80 in the intervention group

Age Range: 0-18 years

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PAYER, Expanded Insurance Coverage, HEALTH_CARE_PROVIDER_PRACTICE, Public Insurance (Health Care Provider/Practice), Educational Material (Provider), PARENT_FAMILY, Training (Parent/Family), PROFESSIONAL_CAREGIVER, Outreach (caregiver), PATIENT_CONSUMER, Peer Counselor, Parent Mentors

Intervention Description: This study examined the effects of parent mentors on insuring minority children in the Kids’ Health Insurance by Educating Lots of Parents (Kids’ HELP) program. Parent mentors were experienced parents with ≥1 Medicaid/CHIP-covered child who received 2 days of training, then assisted families for 1 year with insurance applications, retaining coverage, medical homes, and social needs; controls received traditional Medicaid/CHIP outreach. Parent mentors received monthly stipends for each family mentored. Parents mentors and intervention participants were matched by race/ethnicity and zip code, whenever possible. Latino families were matched with fluently bilingual Latino parent mentors. Session content for the 2-day training was based on training provided to community case managers in the research team’s previous successful RCT and addressed 9 topics (e.g., why health insurance is so important; being a successful parent mentor; parent mentor responsibilities; Medicaid and CHIP programs and the application process; the importance of medical homes).

Intervention Results: In the Kids’ HELP trial, the intervention was more effective than traditional outreach/enrollment in insuring uninsured minority children, resulting in 95% of children obtaining insurance vs. 68% of controls. The intervention also insured children faster, and was more effective in renewing coverage, improving access to medical and dental care, reducing out-of-pocket costs, achieving parental satisfaction and quality of care, and sustaining insurance after intervention cessation. This is the first RCT to evaluate the effectiveness of parent mentors in insuring uninsured children. Kids’ HELP could possibly save $12.1 to $14.1 billion. Parent mentors were more effective in improving access to primary, dental, and specialty care; reducing unmet needs, achieving parental satisfaction with care, and sustaining long-term coverage. Parent mentors resulted in lower out-of-pocket costs for doctor and sick visits, higher well-child care quality ratings, and higher levels of parental satisfaction and respect from children’s physicians.

Conclusion: PMs are more effective than traditional Medicaid/CHIP methods in insuring uninsured minority children, improving health care access, and achieving parental satisfaction, but are inexpensive and highly cost-effective.

Study Design: RCT

Setting: Community (Communities in Dallas County, Texas with the highest proportions of uninsured and low-income minority children)

Population of Focus: Primary caregiver had ≥1 child 0 to 18 years old who lacked health insurance but was Medicaid/CHIP eligible, and the primary caregiver self-identified the child as Latino/Hispanic or African-American

Data Source: Kids’ HELP trial data; questionnaires; national, state, and regional surveys

Sample Size: 237 participants; 114 in the control group and 123 in the intervention group

Age Range: 0-18 years

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT/CONSUMER, Home Visits, Other Person-to-Person Education, PROVIDER/PRACTICE, Outreach (Provider)

Intervention Description: This article describes the smoking behavior outcomes of a feasibility project testing a proactive approach, utilizing Māori voluntary community health workers to identify and reach Māori pregnant women who smoke and provide cessation support.

Intervention Results: The majority of women were Māori, 20-30 years old, had their first cigarette within 30 minutes of waking and 58% had not tried to quit during the current pregnancy. Of the participants who completed a follow-up interview 33% had stopped smoking while they were pregnant and 57% had cut down. There was an increase at follow-up of people who had used cessation support or products.

Conclusion: Aunties are well-placed to find pregnant women and provide cessation support and referral in a way consistent with traditional Māori knowledge and practices. This study suggests such an intervention could increase quit attempts and increase use of effective cessation methods. A more robust study is warranted to develop an enhanced Aunties intervention.

Study Design: Prospective intervention trial- evaluation

Setting: Home-based culturally tailored community health smoking cessation support

Population of Focus: Pregnant Māori women smokers

Data Source: In person questionnaires, interviews, and hospital birth records

Sample Size: 67

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PAYER, Expanded Insurance Coverage, HEALTH_CARE_PROVIDER_PRACTICE, Public Insurance (Health Care Provider/Practice), PROFESSIONAL_CAREGIVER, Educational Material (caregiver), Patient Navigation (Assistance), Outreach (Provider), Enrollment Assistance

Intervention Description: Community Health Centers (CHCs) serving low-income populations are well-positioned to support patients navigating the complexities of the public health insurance application process and prevent lapses in coverage. Specialized staff, called enrollment assistants, can help to determine insurance eligibility and/or guide patients through application processes, including assistance with completing application forms, understanding requirements, and providing appropriate documentation.

Intervention Results: Enrollment assistants are valuable resources, and CHCs are effective at helping patients with public health insurance. The enrollment assistants helped families understand the process and avoid mistakes and delays while patients valued their advice and their pragmatic, hands-on application assistance.

Conclusion: Patients’ understanding of eligibility status, reapplication schedules, and how to apply, were major barriers to insurance enrollment. Clinic staff addressed these barriers by reminding patients when applications were due, assisting with applications as needed, and tracking submitted applications to ensure approval. Families trusted clinic staff with insurance enrollment support, and appreciated it. CHCs are effective at helping patients with public health insurance. Access to insurance expiration data, tools enabling enrollment activities, and compensation are needed to support enrollment services in CHCs.

Study Design: Observational cross-case comparison

Setting: Community (Community-health centers in Oregon)

Population of Focus: Practice members (e.g., managers, clinical and non-clinical staff, enrollment assistants) and families using community health centers

Data Source: Observations and interviews

Sample Size: 4 Community Health Centers (CHCs) in Oregon; 26 practice members; 18 adult family members who had at least one pediatric patient

Age Range: Parents and children; specific ages not stated

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PROVIDER/PRACTICE, Provider Training/Education, Outreach (Provider), Patient-Centered Medical Home, Expert Support (Provider), STATE, Collaboration with Local Agencies (State), Collaboration with Local Agencies (Health Care Provider/Practice), Continuity of Care (Caseload)

Intervention Description: The Illinois Child Welfare Department implemented a statewide health care system to ensure that children in foster care obtain quality health care by providing each child with a medical home.

Intervention Results: These children used the health care system more effectively and cost-effective as reflected in the higher utilization rates of primary care and well-child visits and lower utilization of emergency room care for children with chronic conditions.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the Medical Home model works for children in foster care providing better health outcomes in higher immunization rates.

Study Design: Observational: Cohort study; Survey

Setting: Illinois statewide health system

Population of Focus: Children in foster care between July 2001 and June 2009

Data Source: • Medicaid paid claims data

Sample Size: n=28934

Age Range: Not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Outreach (Provider), Continuity of Care (Caseload), Notification/Information Materials (Online Resources, Information Guide), HEALTH_CARE_PROVIDER_PRACTICE, PARENT_FAMILY, Telehealth

Intervention Description: The purpose of this project was to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of videoconference handoffs between inpatient, case management, and home care nurses, and the patients/families during transitions of care from hospital to home care.

Intervention Results: Videoconference handoffs (n = 10) were found to be feasible and address gaps in communication, coordination of care, and patient/family engagement during transitions from hospital to home care.

Conclusion: Postpilot, nurses agreed the videoconference handoffs should continue with minimal modifications.

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): CAREGIVER, Patient Navigation (Assistance), PROVIDER/PRACTICE, Outreach (Provider), POPULATION-BASED SYSTEMS, STATE, Medicaid Reform

Intervention Description: To evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative reform in 2000 to the Dental Medicaid program in South Carolina.

Intervention Results: From 1998 to 1999, there was a downward trend in the number and percent of Medicaid enrollees ages 21 and younger receiving dental services and in the total number of services provided. This trend was dramatically reversed in 2000.

Conclusion: The January 2000 dental Medicaid reform in South Carolina had marked impact on Medicaid enrollees' access to dental services.

Study Design: QE: pretest-posttest

Setting: South Carolina

Population of Focus: Children aged 2-21 years enrolled in Medicaid

Data Source: Medicaid claims

Sample Size: 1998 (n=377,690) 1999 (n=447,069) 2000 (n=504,642)

Age Range: not specified

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Home Visit (caregiver), Enabling Services, Outreach (Provider), PATIENT_CONSUMER, HEALTH_CARE_PROVIDER_PRACTICE, PROFESSIONAL_CAREGIVER

Intervention Description: The purpose of this study was to describe how each practice operationalized clinical–community linkage strategies that best suited their setting and to determine if efforts resulted in improved MIHP participation and other service use.

Intervention Results: When compared with similar women from the rest of the state, the Federally Qualified Health Center observed a 9.1 absolute percentage points (APP; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.1–10.1) increase in MIHP participation and 12.5 APP (95% CI, 10.4–14.6) increase in early first trimester enrollment. The obstetrics and gynecology residency practice experienced increases of 4.4 APP (95% CI, 3.3–5.6) in overall MIHP participation and 12.5 APP (95% CI, 10.3–14.7) in first trimester enrollment. Significant improvements in adequate prenatal care, emergency department use, and postpartum visit completion were also observed.

Conclusion: Clinical–community linkages can significantly improve participation of Medicaid-insured women in an evidence-based home visiting program and other prenatal services. This work is important because health providers are looking for ways to create clinical–community linkages.

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Outreach (Provider), PATIENT_CONSUMER, Diet/Exercise

Intervention Description: The intervention program consisted of two individual counseling modules given by trained researchers at the 20th and 30th week of gestation. The sessions were structured and comprised three main topics: nutrition, physical activity, and gestational weight gain monitoring. The dietary intervention aimed at decreasing the intake of energy-dense foods and high-fat foods (e.g. fast food, sweets, and sugar-sweetened beverages) by substituting them with low-fat alternatives, and increasing the consumption of fruit, vegetables, and whole grain products. The advice on physical activity was in accordance with the current guidelines for physical activity during pregnancy from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). The following recommendations were introduced for women using the FITT (frequency, intensity, time, type) criteria: thirty minutes of moderate intensity activity on most days of the week at an appropriate heart-rate zone. Non weight-bearing or low-impact endurance exercises using the large muscle groups like walking, cycling, swimming, or aquatic exercises were proposed. Participants were provided with a list of adequate local prenatal exercise programs and advised to participate in programs like these. 

Intervention Results: The intervention resulted in a lower proportion of women exceeding IOM guidelines among women in the intervention group (38%) compared with the control group (60%) (odds ratio (OR): 0.5; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3 to 0.9) without prompting an increase in the proportion of pregnancies with suboptimal weight gain (19% vs. 21%). Participants in the intervention group gained significantly less weight than those in the control group. Only 17% of the women in the intervention group showed substantial weight retention of more than 5 kg compared with 31% of those in the control group at month four postpartum (pp) (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.2 to 0.9). There were no significant differences in obstetric and neonatal outcomes.

Conclusion: Lifestyle counseling given to pregnant women reduced the proportion of pregnancies with excessive GWG without increasing suboptimal weight gain, and may exert favorable effects on pp weight retention.

Setting: Eight gynecological practices in Munich Germany

Population of Focus: Healthy nulliparous and multiparous pregnant women

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Outreach (Provider), Diet/Exercise, HEALTH_CARE_PROVIDER_PRACTICE

Intervention Description: The NFFD trial was a population-based antenatal combined lifestyle intervention consisting of dietary counseling and supervised exercise classes, evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. Normal weight, overweight and obese participants were recruited by midwifes from eight healthcare clinics in the southern part of Norway, encompassing both cities and rural areas, between September 2009 and February 2013. The intervention group had access to a twice-weekly standardized exercise program. Classes were provided for groups at five different fitness centers, led by qualified instructors and consisted of 10 min of warm-up, 40 min of cardiovascular and strength exercises at moderate intensity, with emphasis on core and pelvic floor musculature, and finally 10 min of stretching. Exercise intensity was measured by ratings of perceived exertion set to 12–14 (somewhat hard) on the 6–20 Borg rating scale 18. Additionally, the participants were encouraged to undertake at least 30 min of cardio exercises at moderate intensity at least three times a week, in accordance with current physical activity recommendations 19. The dietary component of the intervention consisted of 10 dietary recommendations designed by the NFFD team

Intervention Results: The intervention group had a longer first stage of labor compared with the control group (293 ± 202 min vs. 257 ± 181 min, p = 0.030). No differences between the randomization groups were seen for time spent in second stage of labor, prolonged labor or mode of delivery. In the total sample, women with the highest physical activity level had lower odds ratio (OR) of acute cesarean delivery (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.11-0.97, p = 0.044) than did those with the lowest physical activity-level.

Conclusion: A significantly longer first stage of labor was observed in the intervention group than in the control group. A high physical activity level in late pregnancy was associated with lower odds of acute cesarean delivery compared with a low physical activity level.

Setting: Southern Norway

Population of Focus: Healthy nulliparous women with a singleton pregnancy

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Outreach (Provider), Provider Reminder/Recall Systems, Quality Improvement/Practice-Wide Intervention,

Intervention Description: We empaneled patients to PCPs, reduced provider floating, implemented continuity-promoting scheduling guidelines, scheduled future WCC visits for patients ≤15 months during check-in for their current one, and encouraged online scheduling.

Intervention Results: Patient empanelment increased from 0% to >90% (P < .001). Patient-provider WCC continuity increased from 25.6% to 54.7% (P < .001). A 20.5% decrease in ED utilization rate was associated with continuity project initiation. Empaneled patients demonstrated higher show rates (76.9%) versus unempaneled patients (71.4%; P < .001). WCC completion rates increased from 52.6% to 60.7%.

Conclusion: WCC continuity more than doubled after interventions and was associated with decreased ED utilization, higher show rates, and increased timely WCC completion.

Study Design: Nationwide Children's Hospital Primary Care Network cares for >120,000 mostly Medicaid-enrolled patients across 13 offices. Before 2017, patients were empaneled to an office, not individual PCPs. We empaneled patients to PCPs, reduced provider floating, implemented continuity-promoting scheduling guidelines, scheduled future WCC visits for patients ≤15 months during check-in for their current one, and encouraged online scheduling. We tracked the percentage of all WCC visits that were scheduled with the patient's PCP and the percentage of subsequent WCC visits for patients ≤15 months that were scheduled during the current visit, and provided feedback to schedulers. We followed emergency department (ED) utilization and visit show rates. WCC visit completion rates were tracked using HEDIS metrics.

Setting: Nationwide Children's Hospital Primary Care Network; United States

Population of Focus: Medicaid enrollees

Sample Size: >120,000 across 13 offices

Age Range: 15 month olds and younger

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Notification/Information Materials (Online Resources, Information Guide), Outreach (Provider), PARENT_FAMILY, HEALTH_CARE_PROVIDER_PRACTICE

Intervention Description: We are now offering the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to any eligible individual in the office during our regularly scheduled clinic hours and are also offering unique vaccination clinics during our evening back-to-school physical nights in the late summer and early fall. Through our experience offering the COVID-19 vaccine to caregivers in our practice, we have found the following: (1) in addition to adolescent and young adult patients receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in the practice, we have provided the vaccine to several caregivers each day (more than 60 doses administered in 1 month); (2) a number of caregivers have reported appreciation for the convenience afforded by getting the vaccine while they were already at a visit for their child; (3) some caregivers have taken the opportunity to receive the vaccine together with their children in solidarity; and (4) several caregivers have stated that they appreciate the comfort and trust of getting the vaccine in the pediatric practice.

Intervention Results: Logistically, vaccinating family members and other nonpatients in our practice required some preparation and additional staffing. We needed a method for scheduling vaccine encounters in the electronic medical record (even for those not previously registered), securing adequate and appropriate vaccine supply and storage, ensuring adequate nursing resources, and developing workflow protocols. We also encouraged all team members who interact with patients and families in the practice (eg, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, behavioral health specialists) to ask about the COVID-19 vaccine, offer the opportunity for discussion with a clinician, and inform them of the opportunity to receive the vaccine in the office if desired (with second booster doses scheduled 3 weeks later for the Pfizer vaccine). In addition to the effort from our dedicated practice staff, the institution was able to support additional part-time nursing coverage (4 hours per day) for vaccination efforts using their COVID-19 emergency funds.

Conclusion: We also encouraged all team members who interact with patients and families in the practice (eg, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, behavioral health specialists) to ask about the COVID-19 vaccine, offer the opportunity for discussion with a clinician, and inform them of the opportunity to receive the vaccine in the office if desired (with second booster doses scheduled 3 weeks later for the Pfizer vaccine). In addition to the effort from our dedicated practice staff, the institution was able to support additional part-time nursing coverage (4 hours per day) for vaccination efforts using their COVID-19 emergency funds.

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Home Visit (caregiver), Outreach (Provider), HEALTH_CARE_PROVIDER_PRACTICE, PROFESSIONAL_CAREGIVER

Intervention Description: To assess the degree to which nurses in a national public health home visiting program collaborate with interprofessional providers to serve families experiencing adversity.

Intervention Results: Relational coordination scores, which are relative measures, ranged from 1 to 5; highest with supplemental nutrition for Women, Infants & Children (M = 3.77) and early intervention (M = 3.44); and lowest with housing (M = 2.55). The greatest sharing of resources was with supplemental nutrition (sum = 12.95) and mental health providers (sum = 11.81), and least with housing (sum = 7.26); with a range of 1–30 where higher scores indicated greater resource-sharing.

Conclusion: Home visiting nurses collaborate with interprofessional providers with variation in the degree of collaboration between agencies and by provider type within an agency. Collaboration was a function of two interrelated domains: interpersonal relationships supported by organizational and contextual factors at the systems-level.

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Outreach (Provider), Food Pantries

Intervention Description: The Food FARMacia program involved a mobile food pantry truck that followed USDA MyPlate guidelines and operated on a twice-monthly basis at WHFHC. Families eligible for the program were able to select food items from the truck without charge, with each visit providing approximately 12 meals per household member for up to 5 household members. In addition to food selection, the program included cooking demonstrations led by a nutritionist, referrals and assistance with enrollment in supplemental nutrition programs, and provision of round-trip public transportation fare to attend food selection sessions.

Intervention Results: Among 650 pediatric patients, 172 reported household food insecurity and 50 registered for Food FARMacia (child mean age 22 ± 18 months; 88% Hispanic/Latino). Demographic characteristics of Food FARMacia participants were similar to those of the target group. Median attendance rate was 75% (10 sessions) and retention in both the study and program was 68%. Older child age (retention: age 26.7 ± 18.7 months vs. attrition: age 12.1 ± 13.8 months, p = 0.01), Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (retention: 97% vs. attrition: 69%, p < 0.01), and larger household size (retention: 4.5 ± 1.1 vs. attrition: 3.7 ± 1.4, p = 0.04) correlated with retention.

Conclusion: A clinically based mobile food pantry pilot program and study reached the target population and were feasible.

Study Design: Observational design

Setting: Family Health Center

Population of Focus: Families with a child aged under 6 years

Sample Size: 650

Age Range: n/a